Airline safety videos are getting bigger and buzzier. Are they more effective?

Passengers flying British Airways these days may be surprised to find themselves traveling not to Heathrow or Gatwick, but first to 19th-century England: complete with men on horseback, women in carriages and a corset so tight the lady might needeth an oxygen mask. The airline’s new safety video is replete with references to British culture, and draws on the success of hit period dramas such as Bridgerton - part of a trend of airlines using increasingly cinematic safety briefings to show passengers a lot more than where they can find a life vest. British Airways said the new film is meant to “keep customers engaged with important safety messaging”.

But experts are split on whether these buzzy videos, which seem to aspire to virality, effectively share vital safety information - or just provide entertainment on top of brand or cultural awareness. Industry watchers trace the rise of quirky safety videos back to a playful cartoon briefing from Virgin America in 2007 and Air New Zealand’s 2009 briefing, which included crew members wearing little more than body paint as they demonstrated the “bare essentials of safety.” In the years since, celebrities, traditional dancers, high-profile directors such as Taika Waititi and even a K-pop group have featured in ever more elaborate productions in the name of airline safety.

Experts and officials stress that air travel is incredibly safe - the US airline system has gone 15 years without a fatal crash - and experiencing an eme.